New Garmin Smartwatch Feature Now Available in Beta Update

Key Takeaways

1. Garmin has released beta update 16.16 for vivoactive 6, Venu 4, and Venu X1 smartwatches, just ten days after update 16.14.
2. The new Garmin Connect+ nutrition logging feature allows users to monitor nutritional information by scanning food items.
3. Access to the nutrition logging feature requires a Garmin Connect+ subscription, which costs $6.99 per month.
4. Users can view detailed reports and AI-generated insights about their diet’s impact on health.
5. Beta version 16.16 can be downloaded by eligible users through their smartwatch settings, but the release date for a stable version is still unknown.

Garmin has unveiled a fresh beta update for the vivoactive 6, Venu 4, and Venu X1 smartwatches. This new beta version, 16.16, comes about ten days after the previous testing version, 16.14. The earlier update improved Garmin Connect Mobile (GCM) Translations to version 3.40.

New Nutrition Logging Feature

With the release of beta version 16.16, users of the Garmin Venu X1, Venu 4, and vivoactive 6 smartwatches now have access to an innovative Garmin Connect+ nutrition logging feature. This feature was first revealed in early January 2026. It allows users to monitor nutritional information, including calories and macros, by scanning food items via the brand’s app. Users can also see daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reports, along with AI-generated insights into how their diet impacts their health.

Subscription Requirement

It should be noted that since this is a Connect+ feature, it’s only available to those who have a Garmin Connect+ subscription, which costs $6.99 per month. However, some tests conducted by the5krunner and DC Rainmaker have pointed out various problems with this feature.

How to Download

For users of the Garmin Venu 4, Venu X1, and vivoactive 6 smartwatch (currently priced at $299.99 on Amazon) who are part of the beta program, they can download beta version 16.16 by navigating to Main menu > Settings > System > Software Update > Check For Updates. It’s still uncertain when a stable version of software 16.xx, which should come with more new features, will be available to all users.

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